Bale buckle reconditioner



Feb.8,1944. P, J, DoRsE-Y 2,341,428

4 BAL B KLE RIB CONDITIONER Filed April so, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WWW a Feb. 8', 1944. J DQRSEY I 2,341,428

' BALE BUCKLE RECONDITIONER r Filed April 30,1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W Anrueys I Inventor I v I By a Patented Feb. 8, 1944 v BALE BUCKLE RECONDITIONER Peter Joseph Dorsey, New Orleans, La., assignor of one-half to Alfred G. Ball, Sr., New Orleans,

Application April 30, 1942, Serial No. 441,193

'7 Claims.

The present invention relates to an apparatus designed to recondition and restore to their ori inal shape used and unserviceable wire baling buckles.

It is the present practice in balin cotton and other material to employ a split buckle to which the ends of the wire bands are attached, one of the split ends of the buckle being normally spread apart for attaching an end of the band thereto and the pressure used in compressing the bale serves to close the buckle into a position to prevent accidental displacement of the band therefrom. After the bands have been removed from the bale, the buckles are usually discarded and it is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide means to restore the used buckles to their original shape to permit re-use of the same for retying the bands on the bales.

A further object is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is efficient and reliable in use, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, which may be easily and quickly attached in position on a conven tional type of riveting or punch machine having a reciprocating plunger and work-supporting table and to otherwise provide an attachment of this character well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and .in which- Figure 1 is a side elevational View of the bale buckle reconditioning attachment shown in position on a conventional form of punch machine.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the workholding anvil.

Figure 3 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the hammer.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional View taken substantially on a line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a similar view showing the use of the device with the buckle in reverse position from that shown in Figure 5.

Figure '7 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on a line 1-1 of Figure 2, and illustrating the anvil for use in reconditioning a C- type buckle.

Figure 8 is a perspective View of a conventional form of C-type buckle, and

Figure 9 is a similar View of a substantially D- shaped buckle, known in the trade as a sa ety buckle.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates the work-holding anvil, which is secured on the table 6 of a conventional form of punch or riveting machine by means of bolts 1.

The anvil '5 includes a step portion 8 at its lower front edge and formed in the horizontal portion of the step are one or more rearwardly extending slots 9 communicating with a vertical slot Ill extending through the anvil from the front to the rear faces thereof.

The front edge of the slot 9 communicates with a notch H formed in the riser portion or front face of the step 8, the notch H being of a width considerably in excess of the width of the slot 9', as shown to advantage in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, and the slot 9 is preferably positioned substantially at the center of the notch.

Also formed in the anvil 5 above the step 8 are one or more slots l 2 extending longitudinally or horizontally of the base of the anvil and extending entirely through the anvil from the front to the rear surfaces thereof.

Positioned in each of the slots i0 is a stop block I3 secured in adjusted position by a set screw l4 and secured'in each of the slots' I2 is a stop block I 5 secured in adjusted position therein by set screws IS.

The slots Sand l0 are adapted to support a bale buckle of a type indicated at H in Figure 9 of the drawings, either in a position as shown at Figure 5 of the drawings with the free side of the buckle I8 and safety hook l9 disposed downwardly with-the safety hook positioned in the notch", or the buckle may be supported in a position as shown at Figure 6 of the drawings with the free side of the-buckle l8 and safety hook l9 disposed uppermost.

A hammer, designated generally at 20, is employed for opening the buckle, the hammer including a flat plate-like head 2| disposed in Vertical position and having a stem 22 at its upper edge for removably securing in the socket or chuck 23 of the punch or riveting machine by means of a set screw 24.

The lower edge of the head 2| is formed with one or more notches, designated at 25, for engaging the uppermost loops or sides of the buckle, the notches being offset toward one side from the vertical plane of the slots ID, as more clearly indicated in Figure 2 of the drawings, so that one edge of the slot 25 will engage the buckle to force the upper side of the buckle horizontally in a direction to disengage the free side of the buckle I8 from the safety catch l9 and thus open the buckle.

The work-engaging side of the slot 25 is inclined as indicated at 26 to increase the width of the slot toward the rear of the head 2|, as will be apparent from an inspection of Figure 4 of the drawings, and is designed to conform to the angle into which the upper side of the .buckle is forced during the opening movement thereof, and the upper portion of the slot 25 is also inclined upwardly and rearwardly, as shown at 21 in Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings, to prevent the buckle from jumping out of the slot when struck by the hammer.

When using the device for opening C-type buckles, indicated at 28, the same are positioned having a vertical slot formed in said step and in the front wall of the anvil below the top of the anvil in communication with each other and adapted for entirely receiving a part of a buckle for supporting the latter in an upright position, with the split portion disposed outwardly of said slots and a hammer adapted for movement downwardly along said front wall into engagement with the upper edge of thebuckle for forcing the same downwardly and separating the free ends of the buckle.

in the horizontal slots I2 and on side of the split end of the buckle is engaged by the lowermost edge of the hammer 20.

It will be apparent that the size and number of slots in the anvil may be varied in conformity with the number of slots formed in the hammer torecondition any desired number of buckles with a single stroke of the hammer.

It is believed the details of construction, manner of use and operation of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation.

.Having thus described the invention what I claim is:

, 1. A device of the class described adapted for opening split bale buckles and comprising an anvil, means for supporting a buckle in position with a portion thereof projecting from a vertical face of the anvil, and a hammer having a slot in its lower edge adapted to receive an edge of the buckle, said slot in the hammer having an inclined side wall adapted to engage and move the engaged part of the buckle horizontally, and saidslot in the hammer having an upwardly and rearwardly inclined upper edge adapted to urge the buckle inwardly of the slot in the anvil.

2. A tool of the class described adapted for opening split bale buckles having normally closed free ends, said tool comprising an anvil having a horizontalslot therein in a vertical face of the anvil intermediate its top and bottom edges and adapted to entirely receive a part of the buckle with the free ends of the buckle projecting outwardly of the slot and a hammer adapted for movement downwardly along said vertical face of the anvil into position for engaging one free end of the buckle for forcing the same into an open position.

3. A device of the class described adapted for opening split bale buckles having normally closed free ends, said device comprising an anvil having a step formed. at its lower front portion, said anvil 4. A device of the class described adapted for opening split bale buckles having normally closed free ends, said device comprising an anvil, means for supporting a buckle in position with its split portion thereof projecting horizontally from a vertical wall of the anvil, and with one free end held stationary, and means adapted for movement into engagement with the protruding part of the buckle in the region of the other free end to force the same open.

5. A device of the class described adapted for opening split bale buckles having normally closed free ends, said device comprising an anvil, means for supporting a buckle in position with a portion thereof projecting horizontally from a vertical face of the anvil, and with one free end held stationary, and means adapted for movement along said vertical face of the anvil into engagement with the protruding part of the buckle in the region of the other free end to force the same open.

6. A device of the class described adapted for opening split bale buckles having normally closed free ends, said device comprising an anvil, means for supporting a buckle in position with a portion thereof projecting horizontally from a vertical face of the anvil, and with one free end held stationary, and a hammer movable downwardly along said vertical face of the anvil and having a slot in its lower edge adapted to receive. an edge of the buckle in the region of the other free end thereof for deforming the same into a predetermined position.

7. A device of the class described adapted for opening split bale buckles having normally closed free ends, said device comprising an anvil, means for supporting a buckle in position with its split portion thereof projecting horizontally from a vertical face of the anvil, and a hammer movable downwardly along said vertical face of the anvil and having a slot in its lower edge adapted to receive an edge of the protruding part of the buckle, said slot in the hammer having an inclined side wall adapted to engage and move one free end of the buckle in a direction away from the other free end thereof.

PETER J. DORSEY. 

